This week, skilled nurses remained STOIC on the potential blow of Medicaid payments, despite House leaders preparing to vote for a bill that calls for at least $1.5 trillion in federal spending cuts. did.
The Senate and House of Representatives have drafted separate budget resolutions, with Republicans imposing a House committee that oversees Medicaid by cutting costs by $880 billion over a decade as part of a larger spending cut effort. It's there. Given the strong “handoff” messaging on Medicare and Social Security from the White House, experts say massive Medicaid cuts definitely need to be at the table.
But if Senate leaders go their own way and delay discussions about Medicaid, that discussion could be put on hold. The popular Safety Net Insurance Plan covers most of the US home care for over 72 million Americans and nursing homes.
House majority leader Steve Scullies (R-LA) said Wednesday that the House will vote for a solution for one building next week, but Senate Republicans push for proposals for two buildings to address deeper cuts It's doing it.
According to Rollcall, the split approach has been a report from the Congressional Budget Office last summer, by strengthening staffing mandate for nursing homes, and by pose as a mandate for nursing homes, which has led to the development of immigration enforcement. It will help pay for the enhancement.
CBO estimates do not break down these costs. It's unclear what those are related to given that the Centers at the Centers at Medicare & Medicaid Services are spending a ton of costs on providers and actually seeking $318 million in Medicare savings per year. The third year of the rules.
A skilled nursing professional who was contacted by McKnight's Long-Term Care News on Thursday could not explain the inconsistency.
In any case, solving staffing duties is considered a victory for the nursing home sector.
But even if it's been pushed away for now, budget-related pain is almost certainly in the form of Medicaid cuts that could reduce federal spending on the program or create block grants. It will come later. Or make tough choices about how well the state will force them to roll back expansions or reimburse nursing homes and other providers.
Impact on Medicaid salary
Long-term care groups, caregivers and patients participated in a Medicaid reporting call on Thursday to discuss the impact of Medicaid reductions and the potential residual effects across the health sector.
Many lawmakers believe Medicaid cuts will not affect older people. Because other more expensive alternatives become available, said Amber Christ, managing director of Justice and Aging's health advocacy during the Zoom call. But the view could not be far from the truth, she accused.
“I think that because (seniors) have Medicare, everything is covered. But Medicare has a big gap in coverage. The biggest gap is reporting, long-term care.” Christ said: “Medicaid is the only program that pays for the assistance that seniors need for daily activities like eating, bathing, dressing, and getting out of bed.
“It's Medicare, not Medicare, it's the leading payer of long-term care in this country,” she recalled.
She explained that more than six in 10 nursing home residents rely on Medicaid to pay for care.
In Pennsylvania, around 200 nursing home workers held a rally on Thursday in support of maintaining federal Medicaid funds. State bed counts continue to decline with many operators citing low reimbursement rates as a major concern.
“We should expand Medicaid rather than cut it,” said Matt Yanell, president of SEIU HCPA. “That's why we are keen to work with responsible owners and protect what we all need. We have been selected to increase care by owners and operators. We have to bring together leaders, workers, community members and more.”
The government's intentions were questioned
President Trump has made the budget agenda even more demanding for Congress by making a recent vow not to cut Medicaid. On Tuesday, he told Fox News that Medicaid would “be strengthened, but it won't be touched.” Medicare, Medicaid, none of them can be mentioned. ”
“If there are illegal immigrants in the system right now, we'll separate them from the system and lead them all to fraud,” Trump added, according to the Shaw's White House transcript.
It has led others to warn that legislators or government efficiency may disguise Medicaid cuts as reforms or attempt to use other dishonest tactics.
“In the upcoming battle over Medicaid, a massive strip of Medicaid spending will be “scam.” Just as federal health programs of all kinds are labelled “Dei” to cut them,” Twitter, Thursday.
Providers are skeptical
The Senate is working this week to vote for its first budget bill. The house is on a break, but the leader pledged to vote when he returns to business next week.
Still, some well-known skilled nurse executives have argued about the revenue call that a massive Medicaid cut is unlikely, especially given the slim majority of Republicans.
On Thursday, Sabla Lit's Rick Matros said the two rooms have been apart so far on how to deal with Medicaid. He has impacted home and community-based services, not impacted nursing homes anywhere under $1 trillion, but increased coverage for people under the age of 65, and even before seniors. We predicted that the children's health insurance program would be expanded.
“I'm more optimistic than being pessimistic about the overall impact of Medicaid, or certainly (cut),” Matros said. “We live in a completely unpredictable age, so I think I'm bipartisan support, lobbying efforts, these things are statutory and you can make room for both state and legislative meetings. They tend to rely on the fact that they have. It's not that easy to hurt those who are most dependent on government assistance.”
But others will be able to extend the expired tax cuts and get the $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion cuts needed to offset the costs of paying the administration's new priorities, which will impact the qualification program. It states that it is almost impossible without giving.
“Thank you for the President's comments… I reaffirm his commitment to not cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but on how to reach the required figures in the resolution without cutting Medicaid. I still need clarity from my colleagues at home, and how that will affect my beneficiaries and my hospital,” Senator Nicole Mariotakis (R-NY) told Hill this week.
